Automatic toll ticketing

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing automatic toll ticketing in a common control telephone system. The method includes sequences which provide automatic ticketing for station-to-station sent paid local or tributary terminations with automatic or operator number identification. The apparatus includes an adapter circuit connected to the common control for directing the transfer of toll information from common registers to a toll buffer. An automatic recorder is controlled by the toll buffer and a plurality of recording trunks to receive charge information and provide a permanent record of the toll charges for the common control system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections between a calling and called party in common control telephone systems having a plurality of time shared registers accessed by a common register control for the translation of information stored therein comprising the steps of: a. storing a calling number representation in a selected register;   b. storing a called number representation in said selected register;   c. storing a toll indicator in said selected register as a result of the translation of a dialed access code;   d. scanning said common registers for a toll indicator during their respective common register control access times until a said indicator is found;   e. transferring the stored representations and indicator from said register to a toll buffer circuit when said indicator is found in said register;   f. seizing a recording trunk in response to the storage of a toll indicator in a register for connecting said calling and called parties;   g. writing a seizure signal into a memory call upon seizure of said recording trunk;   h. transferring the information stored in said toll buffer circuit into said memory cell after said seizure signal is written;   i. writing an answer into said memory cell after the connection is completed through said recording trunk and said called party goes off hook;   j. writing the elapsed time of the connection in said memory cell while the seizure and answer signal are stored in said memory cell;   k. erasing the seizure signal from said memory cell when said calling party goes on hook;   l. erasing the answer signal from said memory cell when said called party goes on hook;   m. writing a disconnect signal into said memory cell when said seizure signal is erased and writing said disconnect signal into said memory cell when said answer signal is erased, and   n. transferring the information stored in said memory cell onto an output medium after said disconnect signal is written.   
     
     
       2. An automatic message accounting system in a common control telephone exchange for toll charging a calling party connected to a called party, the common control exchange having a plurality of subscriber line circuits, a plurality of incoming and outgoing trunk circuits, a line link network, a trunk link network, a plurality of local registers responsive to dialed indications for effecting connections between said subscriber line circuits and said outgoing trunks through said line link network and trunk link network, a plurality of trunk registers responsive to dialed indications for effecting connections between said incoming trunks and said subscriber line circuits through said trunk link networks and line link network and for effecting connections between said incoming trunks and said outgoing trunks through said trunk link networks, a common control accessing said local and trunk registers on a time shared basis including translation circuits for path finding in accordance with said dialed indications stored in said local and trunk registers and a common register control for transferring the dialed indications stored in said logic and trunk registers to said translation circuits during the access time of said local and trunk registers, said automatic message accounting system comprising: a first plurality of recording trunks included in said plurality of outgoing trunks, each of said recording trunks being arranged to a generate seizure signal when selected for connection and to a generate answer signal when the connection is completed to a called party and said called party goes off-hook;   a toll buffing circuit arrangement to store said dialed indications from one of said local and trunk registers and to store the identity of one of said recording trunks when selected for connection;   scanning means for scanning said stored indications transferred by said common register control from said local and trunk registers to said translation circuits during said path finding access time;   detection means for detecting the presence of a toll indicator in said dialed indications during said scan;   storage means responsive to the detection of the toll indicator for storing the dialed indications present in said local and trunk registers into said toll buffer, and   a recorder connected between said toll buffer and a selected recording trunk, said recorder including a memory sectioned into a plurality of recording cells, each of said recording cells being dedicated to a particular one of said plurality of recording trunks, means responsive to the generation of said seizure and answer signal for writing said seizure and answer signals into the dedicated cell corresponding to said selected recording trunk, means responive to the writing of said seizure signal in said cell, for transferring the dialed indications stored in said toll buffer into said cell, said means responsive to the writing of said answer signal in said cell, for storing calendar and elapsed time information into said corresponding cell and means, responsive to the return of one of said calling party and said called party on hook, for writing the stored information onto a recording medium.   
     
     
       3. A toll buffer circuit for a common control telephone exchange having a plurality of time shared registers each having an access time for communicating data over a plurality of bus lines to translation circuits under the direction of a common register control, said buffer circuit comprising: a plurality of data lines connected on a one-to-one basis with said bus lines;   a plurality of serial shift registers, wherein each register includes a plurality of sections that may be selectively loaded from one of said plurality of data lines, detection means arranged to detect the presence of a toll indicator on said data lines during said shared access time, input shifting means responsive to the detection of a toll indicator for shifting said data appearing on the data lines into selected sections of each shift register, control means for selecting said particular sections said data will be stored into and for enabling said input shifting means to load said data into a particular section during the selection thereof;   output shifting means for concatenated unloading of the loaded data synchronously in parallel words from said plurality of shift registers, and   multiplexer means arranged to receive said parallel concatenations and to multiplex said parallel words into a serial bit stream.   
     
     
       4. An automatic message accounting recorder for a common control telephone system having toll information stored in time shared registers accessed by a common register control and having a plurality of recording trunks producing a seizure signal and a trunk number identity upon being selected for connection and producing an answer signal when a called party goes off hook, the recorder comprising: a plurality of trunk recorder memories, each of which is dedicated to a particular group of said plurality of recording trunks, including a recirculating memory sectioned into a plurality of recording cells, each of said recording cells being dedicated to a particular one of said recording trunks in said dedicated group;   a recorder buffer circuit for receiving and storing said toll information and trunk identity from the common register control during the access time of a said register when said recording trunk has been selected;   means for recirculating the toll information stored in said recorder buffer circuit into synchronism with said recirculating recording cells;   means responsive to the generation of said seizure and answer signals for writing said seizure and answer signals into the dedicated cell corresponding to said selected recording trunk;   comparison means for comparing said trunk identity stored in said recorder buffer circuit with the identities of trunks dedicated to said recording cells during the recirculation time of said cells and detecting a match therebetween;   means responsive to the writing of said seizure signal for transferring said toll information from the recorder buffer to said corresponding cell upon detection of a match by said comparison means;   means responsive to the writing of said answer signal in said corresponding cell for storing calendar and elapsed time information into said corresponding cell, and   means responsive to the return of one of said calling party and said called party on hook for writing the information stored in said corresponding cell onto a recording medium.   
     
     
       5. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections as defined in claim 1 wherein: the step of storing a called number representation in said selected register includes the substeps of selecting said selected register to be a local register; connecting a line circuit; connectable to any of a plurality of local junctors through a line switching network, to said local register via one of said local junctors and a service line switching network; and storing said called number representation from the dialed indications of said connection line circuit,   the step of storing a calling number representation in a selected register includes the substeps of translating the equipment number of said line circuit into a directory number and storing said directory number with an office code as said representation of said calling number, and   the step of seizing a recording trunk in response to the storage of a toll indicator in a register for connecting said calling and called parties includes the substeps of translating said called number into an indication for an outgoing tributary connection; seizing said recording trunk connected to said outgoing tributary connection; and connecting said line circuit to said recording trunk via said local junctor and a trunk switching network.   
     
     
       6. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections as defined in claim 1 wherein: the step of storing a called number representation in said selected register includes the substeps of selecting said selected register to be a trunk register; connecting an incoming trunk, connected to a trunk junctor, to said trunk register via said trunk junctor and a trunk service switching network; and receiving the called number from an originating office over said trunk to register connection,   the step of storing a calling number representation in a selected register includes the substeps of signaling said originating office to send said calling number when said called number is stored, and   the step of seizing a recording trunk in response to the storage of a toll indicator in said register for connecting said calling and called parties includes the substeps of translating said called number into an indication for an outgoing tributary connection, seizing said recording trunk connected to said outgoing tributary connection, and connecting said incoming trunk to said recording trunk via said trunk junctor and a trunk switching network.   
     
     
       7. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections as defined in claim 6 wherein: the step of storing a calling number representation in a selected register includes the substeps of connecting said trunk register to an operator via an operator number identification link in response to a failure of the originating office to store said calling number, and storing operator dialed indications as the representation of the calling number in response to the identification of the calling party.   
     
     
       8. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections as defined in claim 1 wherein: the step of storing a called number representation in said selected register includes the substeps of selecting said selected register to be a trunk register, connecting an incoming trunk, connected to a trunk junctor, to said trunk register via said trunk junctor and a trunk service switching network, receiving the called number from an originating office over said trunk to register connection,   the step of storing a calling number representation in a selected register includes the substeps of signalling said originating office to send said calling number when said called number is stored, and   the step of seizing a recording trunk in response to the storage of a toll indicator in said register for connecting said calling and called parties includes the substeps of seizing a recording trunk, connected to said trunk junctor through a trunk switching network and connected to a second trunk junctor, and connecting said line circuit to said incoming trunk via a ringing control through a line switching network and said second trunk junctor, said recording trunk, and said trunk junctor through said trunk switching network.   
     
     
       9. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections as defined in claim 8 wherein: the step of storing a calling number representation in a selected register includes the substeps of connecting said trunk register to an operator via an operator number identification link in response to a failure of the originating office to store said calling number, storing operator dialed indications as the representation of the calling number in response to the identification of the calling party.   
     
     
       10. A method for automatically toll ticketing sent paid station-to-station connections as defined in claim 1 wherein: the step of storing a called number representation in said selector register includes the substeps of selecting said selected register to be a trunk register; connecting an operator number identification trunk, connected to a trunk junctor, to said register via said trunk junctor and a trunk service switching network; connecting a line circuit, connectable to any of a plurality of local junctors through a line switching network, to a local register via one of said local junctors and a service line switching network, storing said called number representation from the dialed indications of said connected line circuit into said local register, connecting said operator number identification trunk to said local junctor via a trunk switching network thereby connecting said local register to said trunk register; transferring said called number representation to said trunk register from said local register,   the step of storing a calling number representation in a selected register includes the substeps of connecting said trunk register to an operator via an operator number identification link in response to an indication that said line circuit is a multi-party line, and storing operator dialed indications as the representations of the calling number in response to the calling party identification, and   the step of seizing a recording trunk in response to the storage of a toll indicator in a register for connecting said calling and called parties includes the substeps of translating said called number into an indication for an outgoing tributary connection, seizing said recording trunk connected to said outgoing tributary connection, connecting said line circuit to said recording trunk via said local junctor, said operator number identification trunk junctor and through said trunk switching network.   
     
     
       11. An automatic message accounting system as defined in claim 2 wherein said automatic message accounting system includes: a plurality of operator number identification link circuits, each connected between one of said trunk registers and an operator position means, said operator position means for dialing at least part of said dialed indications stored in said trunk registers.   
     
     
       12. An automatic message accounting system as defined in claim 11 wherein said automatic message accounting system includes: a second plurality of recording trunks each being connected to one of said trunk junctors and to an output port of said trunk link network thereby providing a toll recording path for tributary-to-local connections.   
     
     
       13. An automatic message accounting system as defined in claim 11 wherein said automatic message accounting system includes: a plurality of operator number identification trunks, each being connected to one of said trunk junctors and to an output port of said trunk link network thereby providing access for said line circuits to said operator number identification link circuits.   
     
     
       14. An automatic message accounting recorder as defined in claim 4 which additionally includes: a toll buffer circuit connected between said registers and said recorder buffer comprising;   a plurality of data lines connected to a one-to-one basis with a plurality of bus lines of said common register control;   a plurality of serial shift registers, wherein each register includes a plurality of sections that may be selectively loaded from one of said plurality of data lines, detection means arranged to detect the presence of a toll indicator on said data lines during said shared access time, input shifting means responsive to the detection of a toll indicator for shifting said data appearing on the data lines into selected sections of each shift register, control means for selecting the particular sections said data will be stored into and for enabling said input shifting means to load said data into a said particular section during the selection thereof;   output shifting means for concatenated unloading of the loaded data synchronously in parellel words from said plurality of shift registers;   multiplexer means arranged to receive said parallel words and to multiplex said parallel words into a serial bit stream to said recorder buffer,   means for generating a start character at the beginning of said serial bit stream, means for generating an end of message character at the end of said serial bit stream, and means for generating an output strobe signal for every bit of said serial bit stream.   
     
     
       15. An automatic message accounting recorder as defined in claim 14 wherein said recirculating means include: clocking means for recirculating said recorder buffer circuit at the same frequency as said recording cells;   input means connected to said toll buffer for loading said serial bit stream into said recorder buffer from said toll buffer, and output means for transmitting said serial bit stream to said recording cells in synchronism with said recording cells, said recorder buffer circuit being connected between said input means and said output means and recirculating data in response to said clocking means.   
     
     
       16. An automatic meassage accounting recorder as defined in claim 15 wherein: said input means includes means for loading said serial bit stream into said recorder buffer in synchronism with said stroke signal, and means for terminating said loading in response to the end of message character.   
     
     
       17. An automatic message accounting recorder as defined in claim 16 wherein: said output means includes start character detection means for detecting the presence of said start character at the output means;   disabling means for stopping said clocking means in response to said start character detection, thereby stopping said recorder buffer from recirculating;   enabling means for starting said stopped clocking means in response to a sync signal from said trunk recorder memories indicating the beginning of a recording cell time, thereby placing said data in synchronism with said recording cells, and transmission means for transmitting said data to the trunk recorder memories.   
     
     
       18. An automatic message accounting recorder as defined in claim 4 wherein the recirculating memory of said trunk recorder memories includes: a serial input shift register for receiving said serial data stream from said recorder buffer;   a serial main storage register means, connected serially to said output of said input register, for serially shifting said data therethrough;   a serial output shift register, connected serially to the output of said main storage register means, for shifting said serial data therethrough to said recording medium, said input register and said output register being tied in parallel for recirculating said data.   
     
     
       19. An automatic message accounting recorder as defined in claim 18 wherein said recirculating memories include modifying means connected between said input register and said output register for changing data flowing therethrough during recirculation. 
     
     
       20. An automatic message accounting recorder as defined in claim 4 wherein said recorder further includes: operator access means connected to said trunk recorder memories and to an operator position for modifying data stored in individual recording cells under the supervision of an operator.